Friday, August 14, 2009

Traveling from NYC to LA and Las Vegas - In Which Order Should We Visit

Traveling from NYC to LA and Las Vegas - In Which Order Should We Visit?
I will be vacationing in late August with three friends, we would be coming from New York City and want to go to Las Vegas for a few days and also Anaheim/Disneyland for a few days. I was wondering, would it be better (cheaper) to fly first from NYC to LA for a few days, and then take the short flight to Vegas from LA (staying at a moderate hotel), returning to NYC from Vegas? Or would it be better to go to Vegas first from NYC, and then to LA/Disneyland? I was thinking of spending 4 nights in LA/Disneyland and 3 nights in Vegas. Two of my friends have never been to Vegas, but are not gamblers or partyers, so we will mainly be seeing sights and Hotels in Vegas. How many days are needed to see Disneyland and hit all the major rides? What else is around the Anaheim area? Would we be able to visit SIx Flags as well? Los Angeles - 3 AnswersRandom Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
When I was recently booking a flight, I had the choice to fly out of LAX or LAS and it was cheaper to fly out of LAS. It is an international airport and I like it. So my recommendation, being that I'm a so cal native and my family lives in Vegas, fly into Las Vegas and rent a car. Spend your three days in Vegas first then drive to California (best to drive early in the morning or late at night b/c of the heat). The drive from So Cal to Las Vegas is about 4-5 hours. Spend time at Disneyland and the beaches in Orange County are great! You can totally do Disneyland in one day; see below. Then go to Six Flags, visit L.A. and fly out of LAX back to New York. Have a great trip - sounds like fun! Vegas for non-gamblers Visit downtown Fremont St. Experience at night. This is old Vegas and there is a cool light show and good atmosphere. There are great shows and great restuarants and great places to sight see. It would be funny to see what a New Yorker thinks of New York, New York casino! The Hoover Dam is close and that is a cool tour and Red Rock Canyon is nice to if you want to be out in the elements - August is crazy hot! Sleep all day, sight-see all night is the best thing to do in Vegas. And the pools at the casino hotels are top notch; spend a day sipping a fruity drink poolside. Disneyland You can totally do Disneyland in one day with three young men! Have fun, adults really can have a good time too. Here are some specifics that I can give you. When you enter the park, get on the train and exit in New Orleans Square and visit that part first â€“ Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and Big Thunder Mountain. This part of the park is my favorite because it is green, has good music, and good restaurants that donâ€™t serve just hamburgers. Then visit Adventureland and ride Indiana Jones and Jungle Cruise. Visit the Tiki Room; itâ€™s an original and gives you a rest. This will lead you to the Hub and the Walt & Mickey statue. Proceed to Fantasyland and check it out, walk around â€“ no rides. Head towards Itâ€™s A Small World and Toon Town. Toon Town is good to look at, not much to ride. But you have to go on Small World. Get on the train again (at Toon Town) and exit in Tomorrowland. Ride Space Mountain and Star Tours. This will lead you back to the Hub and Main Street. Stroll down Main Street and check out the shops before you leave. The shows are great! I would definitely not miss Fantasmic and the fireworks. The Golden Horseshoe show is funny and well-done. Generally â€“ visit one land at a time and avoid zigzagging across the park. Get there at park opening to make the most of your time. Midday is the most busy and crowded; you can take it easy in the midday and do the rides early and late. The fast passes are good; you can use them if you wish. I took 4 Brits there and we had about 4 hours and we were able to do all the big rides in that time. It helped to have a â€œtour guide.â€ Check out Disneylandâ€™s website, they have the park hours and show times published there. Have a great time!
2 :
Lets do the easy part first. Disneyland and Six Flags are roughly 75 miles apart. As to your flights, most airlines do not allow stop overs so you would basically be flying three one way segments. The cheapest routing seems to be JFK-LAX-LAS-JFK. The next alternative (and only a few dollars more) is JFK-LGB-LAS-JFK. Since you will need to rent a car in Los Angeles anyway, I would recommend flying into Long Beach (LGB). It's only about 12 miles from Disneyland and it is SO much easier than dealing with LAX. It's also a hub for JetBlue. Enjoy your visit.
3 :
If you are going to be in the Anaheim area you could also catch an Angels game if they are home. Angels Stadium is only a few miles from Disneyland. You will have a nice long drive from Anaheim to Six Flags if you decide to go there.